My 2 year-old cat has always been water crazy. She used to play with her water bowl all the time and used to spill a lot of it on the floor. She even used to put her toys in the water bowl!

Anyhoo, she discovered a while ago that she could climb into the bathroom sink (yeah, she's a slow one) and now she only wants to drink water out of the tap. It kinda irks me a lil because she'll wake me up in the middle of the night so I can turn on the tap for her (although I only did it once and she's beginning to grow out of that habit). She also tends to make the sink messy because her feet always have some litter box left over on them. The thing is that she now refuses to drink water out of her bowl. I sometimes have to go out for long periods of time (12 hours or so) and she just won't drink any water till I get back. I've tried not turning the faucet on for her so she's forced to drink from her bowl (and I refresh the water in it for her as much as I can during the day), but all she's done so far is turn the bowl over and just spill everything.

Anything I can do to turn her away from the faucet and back to her bowl?

Thanks!

14+kitties

October 11th, 2010, 11:14 PM

Have you tried just leaving a mug of water in the sink for her? I do that for some of mine. They prefer it to a bowl on the floor. No biggie and it isn't a huge deal to clean up water if they happen to spill.

sugarcatmom

October 11th, 2010, 11:23 PM

You could get her a water fountain like this one: http://www.vetventures.com/products-fountains-ss360.asp Many cats prefer running water over still.

Also, feeding wet food instead of kibble will keep her better hydrated overall and possibly lessen her desire to drink.

quincymycat

October 12th, 2010, 07:50 AM

I have water loving kitties too. It is a "routine" in this house to have at least 2 or 3 race me to the sink in my bedroom bathroom and jump on the sink expecting water.
I really don't mind...it gives them extra, they still drink from their bowls as well. I did have circulating water fountains in 2 places but they still wanted the tap. I think it just amuses them.
What does not amuse me however, is one of my guys discovered that if he pulls open the vanity door under the sink and bangs it, it wakes me up and he can then ask for water...usually around 3 AM. I put bungee cords around the handles and problem solved. :D
There is a certain amount of mess when my long haired kitties drink their fill of tap water and then shake to remove the excess stuck on their faces. It does make a mess of the mirror.....but hey, they like it. As long as the 3AM requests have been prevented, I am happy to indulge them....as I end up doing for all their whims! :rolleyes:

Katicita

October 12th, 2010, 08:09 AM

You could get her a water fountain like this one: http://www.vetventures.com/products-fountains-ss360.asp

I tried purchasing that drinkwell fountain, but they only sell it in the US (I'm in Chile, SA) Does anyone know of any website that ships internationally and that is reliable? I've found a few, but I'd like to know if anyone has had any experience with international shipping before making a purchase.

Thanks for all the advice! :D

Melinda

October 12th, 2010, 09:37 AM

my last dog would only drink from the taps, a habit hubby taught her much to my dismay, I'd make sure she had a drink before bed time then shut the bathroom door and she would never trouble us through the night

sassylemon

November 6th, 2010, 06:45 PM

My cat loves to drink from the tap too, only annoying when getting out of the shower and having a cat fly through the shower curtain to drink that last bit of water through the tap.

Rest of the time she is okay and I don't mind :)

catlover2

November 8th, 2010, 05:23 PM

If you can't get one of those cat fountains in Chile, perhaps you can find one of those little Feng Shui fountains that sit on a table? Maybe you'll be able to change the flow of energy in a room as well?

Just make sure you completely change the water every day. I don't know about Chile but I use water from a Brita filter as the tap water has chlorine in it. I don't like the taste and I don't like my cats to drink it either.

http://fengshui.about.com/od/fengshuicures/p/fountain.htm

Goldfields

November 8th, 2010, 07:47 PM

I didn't realise how common it is for cats to like drinking this way. My vet has a lovely little tabby cat named Juliette that thinks nothing of interrupting his consultations to demand he turn on the tap at the sink behind him. I notice he sometimes just leaves the tap dripping slowly, that seems to keep her happy.